Til Death
"Til Death" is the eighth episode of season 2, and overall the thirty-first produced hour of Person of Interest. It originally aired on November 29, 2012. Synopsis 2006 Finch takes Grace to a coffee shop and they talk about the time she spent in Venice. She talks about the paintings she saw and how she knew she wanted to become an artist and explore mysteries. Grace then asks about Finch's travels and he says that he made it to Venice after college. Finch meets with Nathan at a restaurant and apologizes for running late. Nathan points out that he's late and jokingly asks if he has a date, and then realizes that his partner does have a date. Finch doesn't want to talk about it and Nathan understands. However, he warns his friend that a little mystery goes a long way. Finch asks if Nathan has spoken with his wife Olivia recently and Nathan admits that he doesn't even remember all of the lies he's told her. He warns Finch that the truth always catches up to people. Grace waits for Finch at a restaurant and a messenger comes in to give her an envelope. It's an invitation to a birthday scavenger hunt and directions to the first location. Grace sets out across the city, following Finch's directions, which lead her also to the ice cream man who has her favorite chocolate bar and another set of directions. The hunt continues throughout the day and finally takes her to the Guggenheim Museum. Grace finds Finch waiting for her inside the museum after hours. She thanks him for the scavenger hunt and Finch takes her up to the gallery. He tells her that the day isn't over yet and shows her the painting that she admired in Venice. Finch says that it came from an anonymous donor and wishes her happy birthday. As Grace and Finch leave the museum, she asks what's on his mind. They sit down and he tells her that she needs to know what he does. Grace assures him that nothing he could say that would make her run away, but tells him to do it in his own time. She assures Finch that their journey starts there and they'll discover the mysteries together. After a moment, the couple shares a kiss. 2012 Finch is walking Bear at the park and watches Grace from a distance as she leaves her apartment. As she walks down the street, a phone rings nearby and the Machine gives Finch his new number (passage delta epsilon zeta victor whiskey motion november foxtrot). By the time he looks back, Grace has left. Back at the Library, Reese arrives with doggie Danishes for Bear and Finch tells him that they have two numbers for their next case. Sabrina and Daniel Drake are co-publishers and married in 1992. Drake grew up poor and earned a full scholarship in college, and Reese figures someone is after their money. Finch points out that they recently published an indictment of a Maryland militia and its leader, Wade Huggins. The militia has threatened the Drakes but hasn't done anything yet. He has Reese go to the Drakes' office while he breaks into their home. Finch gives Reese an RFID duplicator to scan an active card and gain access to all the offices. At the publishing house, Sabrina and Daniel arrive for a meeting and Reese slips in behind them. He passes the duplicator near a worker's card and gets in. Finch has made an appointment and won't show, giving Reese time to reconnoiter while he waits. Meanwhile, Sabrina and Daniel wait for an elevator and Sabrina complains that the man they're meeting with, Henry Brooks, likes to get there early and show them up. Reese gets in the elevator with them and trails them in as the couple goes to the conference room, and then tells the receptionist that he's waiting for Finch. In the conference room, Sabrina tells Henry that their company isn't for sale. Henry insists that the deal is legit and warns that they're income is down. Reese listens in as Daniel agrees to let the board vote. Henry points out that they're the majority shareholders and their votes are the only ones the matter. As he leaves, Finch confirms that Henry was an early investor in the company and owns 5% of the stock. Finch goes to the Drakes' apartment posing as an IT man. The decorators are working and Finch bugs their computers. Meanwhile, Sabrina and Daniel go their separate ways and Finch goes to check on Daniel while Reese follows Sabrina. At the station, Fusco arranges a meeting for that night as Carter comes in. When Reese calls Fusco, the detective sends it to voicemail. Reese then calls Carter and asks what's going on with Fusco. She says that he's been acting jumpy and Reese says that he'll look into it. He asks Carter for information on Huggins and Carter confirms that the militia leader is planning a protest at the publishing company. Finch watches Daniel leave the restaurant, while Reese sees a man approaches Sabrina's car and plants a bomb. Reese removes it and walks down the street with it. He gets into an alley and disarms the bomb before the owner can trigger the cell phone detonator. The phone rings a few seconds later and Reese makes note of the phone number. Finch sees Daniel get a call and tries to listen in, and discovers that Daniel has a second phone that they haven't cloned. As Daniel walks past Finch, he tells a man named Santi that he'd better handle things or he'll hold back Santi's fee. Reese, overhearing, figures that Daniel hired Santi to kill Sabrina. The Drakes go back to their office and Sabrina complains about how Daniel didn't back her on refusing the sale. She accuses him of being spineless but Daniel insists that he's just being fiscal. As they argue over which universities they went to, Daniel tells Sabrina that it's time to sell the company. As Finch listens in from the library, he examines the bomb and confirms that it's similar to one detailed in the militia's handbook. Reese figures Daniel hired Santi to build the bomb and frame the militia. Finch points out that a divorce would tie up the sale. He's checked their computers and confirmed from the wills that Daniel inherits Sabrina's shares if she dies. Finch runs a check on the name Santi and comes up with Nestor Santi, who has talked over the phone with Daniel on several occasions. They grew up together and Santiago was in prison until eight months ago. One of the arresting officers works at Carter's precinct and Finch makes a call. Carter talks to the detective, Beecher, who explains that Santiago was a small-time dealer who ended up using his own product. After Beecher arrested him, Santiago got off with a small sentence because he had an expensive lawyer. Carter admits she can't tell Beecher much and he's fine as long as she owes him a favor. Beecher says that he'll check with his contacts and see what he can come up with. Reese follows the Drakes to a book signing and figures that Daniel won't kill Sabrina himself. Finch warns that the militia members will be at the signing and both men figure that it's a good time for Daniel to arrange the murder and frame the militia for it. Outside the book club, Reese spots a sniper and moves in. However, Finch is monitoring Sabrina's phone and picks up her text message to the sniper giving the kill order. Reese bumps into Daniel, shoving him out of the way, and then goes after the sniper. However, he loses him in the crowd and the man drives away. Finch monitors another text message from Sabrina to the killer and Reese realizes that the Machine gave them both numbers because the Drakes are planning to kill each other. Finch suggests they leave the Drakes to their own device and help someone who needs it. However, he admits that they don’t have a new number. Fusco has taken the battery out of his cell phone to duck Finch's calls and Reese figures that something is wrong and tracks him by his last phone call. Fusco takes a woman, Rhonda, to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Their friend Larry has set them up on a date and they talk about their children. Rhonda figures that Fusco doesn't see much of his son because of his long hours and tells Rhonda that she'd be bored. A waiter informs Fusco that he has a call and he reluctantly takes it. It's Finch, who has been listening in and tells him to work on his conversational skills. Finch gives Fusco directions to Sabrina and tells him to put his cell phone battery back in. Fusco lies and tells Rhonda that he was called to a stakeout, but Rhonda says that she has a cop for a cousin and suggests that he go with her. She'd rather get falafels and Fusco eagerly agrees. Carter meets Reese as he watches Drake at his home. They talk about marriage and love, and Carter talks about how the person you marry turns into someone totally different. Reese asks if she's considered moving on but Carter says that she doesn't have any spare time. She asks Reese the same question but Beecher calls her before he has to answer. He tells Carter that Santiago was looking to boost a deli van to get into the publishing house. As they watch, someone cuts the power in Drake's office and they realize that Sabrina's hired gun is making his move. As Fusco and Rhonda watch Sabrina's office, Fusco talks about his cases and he thanks Rhonda for coming. She's glad that she came as well. Finch calls to tell Fusco that a deliveryman arrived at Sabrina's floor and the detective goes to check it out. Reese and Carter intercept the killer as he breaks in. Reese fights it out with him but when Daniel comes out, he distracts Reese long enough for the killer to get away. When Daniel demands to know what's going on, Reese punches him unconscious and locks him in the trunk Fusco goes into the building and spots Santiago, delivering food. When the detective demands ID, Santiago opens fire and runs off. Fusco goes after him and runs into Sabrina. He shows her his badge and gets her out, and she wonders where his backup is. Reese and Carter arrive and Reese tosses Sabrina in the trunk with her husband. Rhonda comes up with food and Carter explains that she's Fusco's partner while Reese gets in the car. Carter joins him and they drive off with the Drakes still in the trunk while Fusco smiles nervously at Rhonda. Reese takes the Drakes to a safehouse and ties them both to chairs. They argue with each other and Reese finally tells them that they each hired hitmen to kill the other. Neither one of them know where they're hired guns are and Reese leaves them to argue as he goes into the next room where Finch and Carter are waiting. Reese figures that the couple could use some counseling and Finch suggests that they take a different tack. Fusco takes Rhonda home and she admits that it was fun. She hopes to do it again and Fusco admits that it's a possibility. They kiss and Rhonda goes inside. Reese blindfolds the couple and then Finch goes in with food and wine. He tells them that he's someone who helps people even if they don't deserve it. Finch figures that they're just a couple who grew frustrated, and whose frustration turned to hatred. He puts a photo of the two of them in their younger years on the table, removes the blindfolds, and leaves. Sabrina and Daniel talk about where they were when they had the photo taken. The conversation turns to Sabrina's pregnancy and Sabrina calls out, saying she'll tell them what she can about the man she hired. Reese comes in and Sabrina explains that she contacted a private security firm. When she tried to call it off after the book signing, the phone number she used was disconnected. Daniel hasn't been able to reach Santiago and admits that he never liked Sabrina and was killing her as a favor to him. Reese cuts them loose and says that they're going home, figuring he can lure the killers to them. Carter and Reese have the Drakes stand in front of the window so the hitmen know that they're there. Meanwhile, Reese tells Fusco not to be so melodramatic the next time he has a date. Reese then locks the couple in the pantry As Carter and Fusco check the house, the Drakes admits that they don't know what's happened to them. Daniel points out that she didn't want to talk about the pregnancy after she lost their first child, and he assures her that he didn't blame her for what happened. They realize that neither one said what they were really thinking. Sabrina wanted the company because it was the only thing she had left, while Daniel wanted to get rid of everything. They agree to try again when they get out of their current situation, and apologize for trying to kill each other. Santiago's partner breaks in and Carter orders him to stop. He opens fire and Carter fires back, wounding him. Fusco moves in and Santiago comes up and shoots him. Carter tries to get to her partner but Santiago returns fire. Sabrina's killer goes for the Drakes and Reese takes him on. As Santiago goes after Carter, Fusco arrives behind him and shoots him. He assures carter that he's wearing his bulletproof vest. Reese and the hitman fight it out in Sabrina's remodeled kitchen and Reese finally uses a nailgun to nail the killer to the ground and punches him unconscious. The next morning, the police take away the killers and the Drakes. Beecher comes to see Carter and she thanks him for his help. When she admits that she still owes him one, Beecher asks her for a dinner date and she agrees. When Reese returns to the library, Finch puts away the photo of himself and Grace and tells him that the Drakes are refusing to testify against each other. The two men figure that the Drakes won't serve much time once they hire some expensive lawyers. When Reese says that it was a lot of trouble just to figure out they love each other, Finch says that anything is worthwhile when life gives a person a second chance to be with the one they love. Episode Notes * Finch talks wistfully about first seeing Venice through a Viewmaster. A Viewmaster is a stereoscopic 3D viewer which was developed in 1939, shortly after the advent of color film. The viewer uses small circular reels with a series of opposing pairs of images around the perimeter; when viewed through the Viewmaster, the viewer sees each image in 3D. The Viewmaster was a popular early way to see the world when the price of travel was prohibitive, and Viewmaster reels could be purchased at most popular tourist sites. * Finch gives Reese a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) duplicator to access the publishing house. An RFID scanner accesses, copies and duplicates electronic information on objects with RFID strips, such as credit cards, employee identification or hotel room keys. * Carter's retort "Am I my partner's keeper?" is a play on Cain's response when asked where his brother Abel was in Genesis 4:9. Acronyms and Vocabulary * Bruja (Spanish, feminine): witch. Nestor uses the term to insult Fusco by referring to him as a witch in the feminine form. Used properly, a male witch is a brujo. Production Notes Trivia *In this episode, Rhonda suggests to Fusco that they can leave the fancy restaurant and eat falafel. In "Masquerade", Fusco asks Sofia whether she likes falafel. * When Fusco escorts Sabrina out of the office building after Nestor's attack, she is wearing high-heeled black shoes. A moment later, when Reese grabs her and puts her in the trunk of his car, she is barefoot. Music *"One of these Mornings" by Moby/Patti LaBelle- End of episode. Quotes *"I'm proud of you, Finch. You've really gotten comfortable with your breaking and entering duties." -Reese *"Sometimes you need to break a few eggs to save lives." -Reese *"Thank you for appreciating my descent into deviant behavior." -Finch *"Our journey starts here... And any mystery around the corner, we can discover together." -Grace *"You know the only thing worse than hate? Indifference." -Nathan Promo es:Til Death Videos Person of Interest - Person of Interest - Marital Crossfire|Marital Crossfire 208 208